Attachment for shears



March 14, 1933. K ENGEL 391,739

ATTACHMENT FOR SHEARS Filed Dec. 3, 1931 iNV NTOR v WITNESSES ,Zar E72 6! m BY ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 14, 1933 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application filed December 3, 1931. Serial No. 578,812.

This invention relates to an attachment for View taken approximately on the line l4 shears of the type which are particularly deof Figure 3. signed for the trimming of hedges or pruning Referring to the drawing by characters of of hrub or ther la t reference, and 11 designate respectively 5 The ordinary shears have been found to be the blades of a pair of shears having coop- 5 open to the objection that where thickstems erative cutting edges 1212, and which are to be cut, the cutting edges of the blade blades are provided respectively with the tend to force or cam the stems outwardly and hank portions 13 and 14 having pivotal conhence repeated attempts must be made before motion by bolt 15 and nut 16. The shanks 0 actual severance thereof is accomplished. 13 and 14: are provided with the usual han- To overcome this objection, the present indles 16 and 17. vention comprehends an attachment which S illustrated by way of example, the atprovides a stem holding means carried by and tachment consists of a member having a pair disposed in a non-interfering relation to the 0f angularly related arms 20 and 21, th v 15 cutting edges of the shear blades when opened, o r belng su stantially traigh nd PI t it f the reception f th t t b vlded at 1ts free end with a hooked work en-' out, and which means upon closing movement g g ng rmlnal 22, and the latter arm 21 of the blade edges is swung into an active povlng & curved portion 23. Th ar 20 sition to engage and hold the stem during the nd 1 of the member are fulcrumed ad-j severance th f cent tllGlFJHIlCtLlIB as at 24 to a fixed point Th i ti f th t l t an twith reference to one of the blade shanks, in tachment of this character which may be the P Q instance the blade Shank so f d as a permanent t f th Shears or that sald fulcrum point 24, which is located removably associated therewith so that the between he plvotal connection 15 of the 25' attachment may be optionally used, blades and the handle 16 in the present in- Other objects of the invention reside in the f a does not have y relative movement comparative simplicity of construction of the Wlth e p t the blade shank during the attachment, the economy with which it may P 1e Shears. The member how be produced and incorporated in the shear ever, 1S deslgned to Swing relative to the 30 structure and the general efficiency derived blade and blade shank with reference to so h f wh ch the fulcrum point 24' has its fixed re- With the above recited and other objects in and g g mOVeIDeIlt is imparted view, reference is had to the following det0 Sald member y of the engagement scription and accompanying d i i of the curved portion 23 of the arm 21 with which there is exhibited one example or a guide 25 formed on the handle of the other bodiment of the invention, while the claims blade- The arrangement is ch that when d fi the actual scope f the, Same. the blades 10 and'll are opened, the member I th d i 1s caused to turn on its fulcrum 24 so as to Figure 1 is a front View of a pair of shears swlng the arm 20 and its hooked terminal 22 e. equipped with an attachment constructed in away m and b y E cuttmg edge 11 9'9 accordance with the invention and illustratto a non'mterfel'mg Posltlon t0 the ption of the work or article to be out as iling the shear blades 1n opened condition, wlth the Work holding means retracted lustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. Co

versel when the shears are mani ulated to .7

45 Flgure 2 an l PW move the cutting edges of the blad ts toward F1g11 1'9 3 1S a W: slmllm to Flglure 1 each other, the guide 25 cooperates with the lustl'atlng 13051151011 Parts when the curved portion 23 of the arm 21 to turn the shears are actively cutting the work while member on it f l 24 d swinoth being retained by the holding means. hooked terminal 22 to substantially the posi 5o F1gure41s an enlarged transverse sectional tion illustrated in Figure 3, where it enloo gages with and holds the work or article A against longitudinal outward movement with respect to the cutting edges of the blades, thus insuring severance of the article.

As illustrated in the present instance, the guide 25 is in the nature of a loop or staple presenting a pair of spaced legs 26 and 27, and within which the curved portion 23 of the arm 21 moves. The free end of the curved portion 23 is provided with an offset terminal 28 which is adapted to coact with the guide 25 to limit the opening movement of the shears. If desired, a spring or other equivalent means 29 anchored at one end and engaging at its other end with the arm 21 functions to maintain the curved part 23 of the arm in contact with the leg 26 of the staple or guide 25 and also functions to effect the swinging of the shear blades to a closed relation.

In order to render the attachment capable of optional removal, the fulcrum 24 extends through a supporting strip 30, one end of which is secured over the pivot 15 of the blades by the nut 16, and the other end of which is secured to a split ring 31 adapted to embrace one of the handles, in the present instance the handle 16. The guide or staple 25 is likewise carried by a split ring 32 which embraces and is clamped upon the other handie, in the present instance the handle 17.

For the purpose of obtaining adjustment as to the point at which the work holding terminal 22 will intersect the cutting edges of the blades, the supporting strip 30 is formed with a series of openings 33 which selectively receive the fulcrum 24.

In use and operation, the arm 20 of the attachment swings to a non-interfering position, as illustrated in Figure 1, when the blades 10 and 11 are opened and the opened blade edges are positioned relative to and receive therebetween the article A to be cut, after which closing movement of the blades 10 and 11 will cause the arm 20 to be swung to dispose the hooked work engaging terminal 22 behind the article A, as illustrated in Fig ure 3 of the drawing. Continued closing movement of the blades obviously severs the article A and positively precludes longitudinal outward movement of the article with reference to the blade edges.

While there has been illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that variations and modifications thereof which fall within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. A work holding attachment for shears including a member having a pair of angularly related arms fulcrumed at their juncture to a fixed point with reference to one of the blades between the pivotal connection of the blades and the handle of said blade, one of said arms extending beyond the pivotal connection of the blades and having a hooked work engaging terminal and a guide on the handle of the other blade cooperating with the other arm of said member to cause the first mentioned arm to move with and relative to the shear blades and spring means acting upon the member to normally swing the first mentioned arm past the cutting edge of the first mentioned blade when the shears are closed.

2. A work holding attachment for shears including a member having a pair of angularly related arms fulcrumed at their juncture to a fixed point with reference to one of the blades between the pivotal connection of the blades and the handle of said blade, one of said arms extending beyond the pivotal connection of the blades and having a hooked work engaging terminal and a guide on the handle of the other blade cooperating with the other arm of said member to cause the first mentioned arm to move with and relative to the shear blades and spring means acting upon the member to normally swing the first mentioned arm past the cutting edge of the first mentioned blade when the shears are closed and tensioning said member against movement of said arm in'the other direction.

KARL ENGEL. 

